LED Bottles to PPE

A company that started with LED message vodka bottles successfully pivoted during COVID to become a major PPE supplier, securing $100M+ government contracts.

Key Points:

• Original Business (2014):

  • Created vodka bottles with programmable LED displays
  • Could display custom messages like birthday greetings
  • Had Shaq as an advisor

• COVID Pivot:

  • Completely shifted from vodka bottles to PPE production
  • Products included:
    • N95 masks
    • Respirators
    • Testing kits
    • Safety equipment

• Post-Pivot Success:

  • Secured $113M government contracts
  • Became sole testing provider for major venues:
    • Lakers stadium
    • Levi's stadium
  • Multiple $100M+ contracts for safety equipment

• Business Model:

  • Estimated 10-15% profit margins on contracts
  • Potentially higher margins during early COVID when price sensitivity was low
  • Complete transformation of manufacturing and production facilities

This pivot demonstrates how a company with manufacturing capabilities was able to completely transform their business model to meet urgent market demands during COVID.